# Paul Mazurkiewicz vs George Kollias — Death Metal Drum Battle | MetalForge > Side-by-side gear comparison between Paul Mazurkiewicz (Cannibal Corpse) and George Kollias (Nile) — old-school death metal groove versus extreme blast beat velocity. **Category:** Extreme / Death Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/paul-mazurkiewicz-vs-george-kollias Cannibal Corpse's Paul Mazurkiewicz vs Nile's George Kollias. Old-school brutal death metal groove versus modern extreme blast beat velocity — two titans who define what "fast" means in death metal drumming. --- ## At a Glance | Spec | Paul Mazurkiewicz | George Kollias | |------|--------------------|-----------------| | Drums | Pearl Reference Pure (Matte Black) | Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic (Piano Black/Gold) | | Cymbals | Sabian AAX & HH Series | Zildjian K Mastersound / K Custom / A Custom | | Snare | Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass | Pearl George Kollias Signature 14x6.5" | | Pedals | Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive Double Pedal | Pearl Demon XR Double Pedal (co-designed) | | Sticks | Promark 5B | Vic Firth George Kollias Signature SGK | --- ## Gear Deep Dive ### Paul Mazurkiewicz Setup - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Pure (Matte Black finish) - **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX & HH Series (14" Hi-Hats, assorted crashes, 22" Ride) - **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass - **Pedals/Hardware:** Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive Double Pedal - **Sticks:** Promark 5B hickory - **Heads:** Remo Emperor/Ambassador Paul Mazurkiewicz has been associated with Pearl Drums for much of his 35-plus-year career, favoring equipment built to withstand the rigors of 200-plus shows a year. His Pearl Reference Pure kit delivers focused attack with enough low-end warmth to anchor Cannibal Corpse's wall-of-sound brutality, while the 14x6.5" brass snare produces the sharp, cutting crack that punches through dense death metal mixes. Sabian AAX and HH cymbals give him bright, cutting attack, and the Demon Drive double pedal handles the relentless double bass patterns that underpin his old-school groove-and-blast approach. ### George Kollias Setup - **Drums:** Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic (Piano Black with Gold Hardware) - **Cymbals:** Zildjian (14" K Mastersound Hi-Hats, K Custom Dark Crashes, A Custom Mega Bell Ride) - **Snare:** Pearl George Kollias Signature 14x6.5" - **Pedals/Hardware:** Pearl Demon XR Double Pedal (co-designed), Pearl D-3000 Throne - **Sticks:** Vic Firth George Kollias Signature SGK George Kollias has signature products with both Pearl and Vic Firth, reflecting his status as one of extreme metal's most technically respected drummers. He was instrumental in co-designing the Pearl Demon XR double pedal, engineered specifically for the extreme-speed applications his playing demands. His Vic Firth SGK sticks feature a longer reach balanced for speed, and his signature Pearl snare is built for cut and articulation even at the punishing tempos Nile's Egyptian-themed technical death metal requires. --- ## Style & Technique Comparison Paul Mazurkiewicz co-founded Cannibal Corpse in Buffalo, New York in 1988 and has performed on every album since their 1990 debut *Eaten Back to Life*, anchoring the best-selling death metal band of all time — more than 2 million albums sold worldwide. His technique is built around relentless blast beats fused with complex double bass patterns and groove-oriented mid-tempo sections, deliberately contrasting brutal blasts with headbang-worthy grooves rather than chasing maximum speed for its own sake. Records like *Tomb of the Mutilated* (1992), *Kill* (2006), and *Violence Unimagined* (2021) showcase 35-plus years of consistent, song-serving brutality. George Kollias joined Nile in 2004, replacing Tony Laureano, and has become one of extreme metal's fastest and most enduring drummers across *Annihilation of the Wicked* (2005), *Those Whom the Gods Detest* (2009), and *Vile Nilotic Rites* (2019). He is a gravity blast specialist capable of sustaining blast beats at 240+ BPM with remarkable clarity and stamina — a level of technical precision that has made him a benchmark figure in modern death metal. Beyond performing, Kollias is a respected drum educator whose instructional DVDs, *Intense Metal Drumming* (2010) and *Intense Metal Drumming II* (2017), have taught extreme technique to thousands of aspiring metal drummers worldwide. Both drummers represent different eras and philosophies of death metal excellence. Mazurkiewicz's old-school approach values groove and consistency, letting the riffs breathe between blasts. Kollias's modern approach values pure technical velocity and clarity, pushing the ceiling of how fast a human drummer can play while staying clean. --- ## Key Differences Paul Mazurkiewicz's Sabian AAX & HH cymbals and Pearl Reference Pure kit are chosen for durability and reliable, cutting tone across a grueling international touring schedule. George Kollias's Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic kit and Zildjian K/A Custom cymbals are tuned for the extreme clarity his sustained high-BPM blast beats require — every hit needs to remain articulate even at 240+ BPM. The pedal setups reflect their respective priorities: Mazurkiewicz uses the Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive, a proven workhorse double pedal for touring reliability. Kollias co-designed his own Pearl Demon XR pedal specifically engineered for extreme speed, underscoring his reputation as a technical innovator as much as a performer. Mazurkiewicz's brass snare produces a sharp, old-school metallic crack associated with classic Cannibal Corpse brutality. Kollias's signature Pearl snare is voiced for cut and articulation in Nile's dense, Egyptian-themed technical death metal mixes — both serve their bands' distinct sonic identities. --- ## Influence & Legacy Paul Mazurkiewicz's consistency across every Cannibal Corpse release since 1990 makes him one of death metal's most enduring figures — alongside bassist Alex Webster, he's the only member with that unbroken streak. His old-school blast-and-groove template helped define what brutal death metal sounds like for an entire genre, and Cannibal Corpse's commercial success (the best-selling death metal band of all time) is a testament to his rock-solid foundation. George Kollias's extreme speed and clarity raised the technical bar for modern death metal drumming. His co-design work on the Pearl Demon XR pedal, combined with globally attended educational clinics and widely studied instructional DVDs, has directly shaped how a generation of extreme metal drummers approach both gear and technique — making him as influential as an educator as he is as a performer. --- ## Verdict Paul Mazurkiewicz and George Kollias represent two eras and philosophies of death metal drumming excellence. Mazurkiewicz is the old-school foundation — 35-plus years of relentless consistency that built Cannibal Corpse into the best-selling death metal band ever, groove and brutality in equal measure. Kollias is the modern technical benchmark — blast beats sustained at 240+ BPM with textbook clarity, backed by an educator's dedication to spreading extreme technique. The debate is death metal's old guard versus its technical evolution — both are essential to understanding how far the genre has come. --- ## FAQ **Q: Who plays faster death metal drums, Mazurkiewicz or Kollias?** A: George Kollias is generally considered the faster, more technically extreme drummer — he sustains blast beats at 240+ BPM with exceptional clarity using the gravity blast technique, a benchmark cited in his own instructional DVDs. Paul Mazurkiewicz prioritizes groove-oriented brutality and old-school consistency over sheer top-end velocity, contrasting blasts with headbang-worthy mid-tempo sections rather than chasing maximum speed. **Q: What gear do Paul Mazurkiewicz and George Kollias use?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz plays a Pearl Reference Pure kit (Matte Black) with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass snare and Sabian AAX & HH cymbals. George Kollias plays a Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic kit with his Pearl George Kollias Signature snare and Zildjian cymbals, driven by the Pearl Demon XR double pedal he co-designed. **Q: How long has Paul Mazurkiewicz been Cannibal Corpse's drummer?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz co-founded Cannibal Corpse in 1988 and has performed on every studio album since their 1990 debut *Eaten Back to Life* — more than 35 years, making him (alongside bassist Alex Webster) one of only two members with that distinction. **Q: Is George Kollias a drum teacher as well as a performer?** A: Yes — beyond his work with Nile since 2004, George Kollias is an accomplished drum educator who has released instructional DVDs (*Intense Metal Drumming*, 2010, and *Intense Metal Drumming II*, 2017) and taught at clinics worldwide, making him one of extreme metal's most influential drumming educators. --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/paul-mazurkiewicz-vs-george-kollias](https://metalforge.io/vs/paul-mazurkiewicz-vs-george-kollias)* *[Paul Mazurkiewicz drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/paul-mazurkiewicz)* *[George Kollias drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/george-kollias)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-02 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*